In rare move, CPM to field politburo member MA Baby

Deviating from the practice of not fielding its’ politburo members in the Lok Sabha polls of late, CPM has decided to field MA Baby from the Kollam Lok Sabha seat in Kerala.

Baby, a former education minister in Kerala, is a sitting MLA in the state. The CPM will be fielding all four of its sitting MPs from the state as well.

In the politically sensitive seat of Kannur, party will field a woman, PK Sreemathi. A list of candidates are expected to be announced after the party state committee meeting on Friday, sources said.

In another development, the Left parties are looking for an independent candidate to be fielded from Ernakulam, represented by minister KV Thomas. One of the contenders for the seat now is former bureaucrat Christy Fernandez — a retired IAS officer from Gujarat cadre was also served as secretary to President Prathibha Patil.